The visitor center at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and most trails at the Barataria Preserve will temporarily close to accommodate demolition and construction for a major trail improvement and facility remodel.
Beginning on Feb. 2, the park will relocate visitor services to the Town of Lafitte’s Visitor Center. The Twin Canals parking lot, trail and canoe launch will remain open for visitors throughout the project.
After Hurricane Ida caused extensive damage throughout the Preserve in 2021, two Disaster Supplement awards provided funding for the improvement plan.
The plan includes rebuilding 1.3 miles of elevated boardwalk with durable composite materials and wooden guardrails and removing 1.1 miles of damaged trail with restoration to natural wetland conditions.
It also provides for a larger, more accessible education center, which will become the new visitor center.
Demolition and construction for trail improvements are scheduled to begin in February and will be completed in phases over two years. Trails will reopen to the public as each phase is finished. Construction for the visitor center is expected to be completed by 2029.
The Barataria Preserve, located 17 miles south of New Orleans, encompasses more than 26,000 acres of Louisiana wetlands, including bottomland hardwood forest, cypress swamp, freshwater and intermediate marshes, bayous and canals.
It offers boardwalks and trail networks that allow visitors to experience diverse wildlife, including alligators, snakes and more than 200 species of birds.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com ’
